Overview

Situated right on the shores of Windermere, this stylish Youth Hostel offers unbeatable location, stunning views and state of the art facilities for families, solo travellers and groups looking for a base right in the centre of the Lake District National Park.

While within walking distance of the charming village of Ambleside, YHA Ambleside gives you easy access to prime walking, climbing and watersports in the Lake District - the hostel overlooks the nearby Langdale Pikes. Ambleside Pier is situated right next to the Youth Hostel and, with a modern bar and restaurant serving good food and local ales, you'll never run out of things to do during your stay.

The Ambleside village has plenty of shops to browse, three cinemas for evening entertainment and plenty of great pubs to refresh you after your activity-filled day. We can organise outdoor activity packages for groups, including rock climbing, kayaking, ghyll scrambling and canoeing. If you're on a walking holiday, don't forget to ask at reception for walking routes in the area.

Activities

Walking & Rambling

A range of information on local walks is available from the hostel. There is also a route planning service to help you plan a perfect days walking in the Lakes.

Mountain Biking

With Claife Heights right opposite, the hostel makes a perfect location to explore by mountain bike. Exciting steeples and exhilarating ground, along with stunning views make this a fantastic biking experience.

Climbing

A brand new indoor climbing facility available in Ambleside, boasting amazing life-like crags and rocks for beginners and pro-climbers alike.

Watersports

The Lake District was made for wild swimming and with this hostel right on the edge of England’s largest lake, Windermere, it would rude not to. The best time for wild swimming here is early morning avoiding the main boat traffic or better still, join an organised guided swim with Head to the Hills Swim the Lake District who also run taster sessions at the hostel in the spring.

Reviews

Food & Drink

Breakfast

We offer a full hot and cold buffet breakfast to kick-start your day. Breakfast is available from 7.30 - 9.30am. Breakfast is now available at 10% off - ONLY WHEN PRE-BOOKED. Simply add it to your basket at check out to save!

Lunch

We can provide a packed lunch including a freshly prepared sandwich, a delicious cake, cereal bar, a bottle of mineral water, a packet of crisps and a piece of fresh fruit.

Restaurant

The Lakeside is the fantastic restaurant at YHA Ambleside. The Lakeside Restaurant and Bar provides guests and the public with the opportunity to dine in a contemporary, relaxed and cosy atmosphere right on the shores of the beautiful Lake Windermere with delicious meals on offer throughout the day from 12-9pm. The bar is open to the public until 11pm. Take your pick from a range of meals on our menu. With bespoke pizzas, light bites and a build-your-own burger option, plus a range of sides and desserts, there’s plenty to choose from.

Drinks

Kids Eat Free

One free children's meal is avaialable per adult main meal from the main menu when purchased at the same time. This offer is not available on breakfast.

Self-Catering Facilities

We have a fully equipped self-catering kitchen which is great for creating culinary delights and a dining room with seating for 20 people. There is plenty of space for you to store and prepare your food as well as ample table and cookware and pots and pans.

1. Choose Dates & Guests

Admissions Policy:
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 or over).
Children under 11 are welcome at YHA but can only stay in private or family rooms or in our camping and cabins products.
Children aged between 11 and 16 can stay in dorm rooms as long as they are accompanied by an adult of the same gender.

We are no longer taking bookings for customers wishing to arrive today. Please select alternative dates or location.

Availability Calendar

Can't find a bed on your preferred date? Try choosing a different room type from the selection box above. Alternatively please call us on 0800 0191 700
or +44 (0) 1629 592 700.
Members of YHA or Hostelling International are entitled to a discount of up to £3/night off the prices quoted above for bookings at YHA operated properties. Member discounts are redeemable at the checkout stage of your online booking. Family room prices are only available if your booking contains at least one adult and one child under 18.

Need to Know

Hand soap is provided next to all sinks. Towels are not supplied as standard but can be rented or purchased from reception. Bedding is supplied in all rooms.

Parking

The property has a small car park. If this is full when you arrive there is limited on-street parking in front of the pier and on Lake Road (3 minute walk). There is also a pay and display car park two minutes' walk from the hostel on Borrans Road (2 minute walk) which offers free parking from 18:00 - 08:00.

This 3 word address identifies the precise 3m x 3m square at the hostel's entrance. It’s much more reliable than a street address, which can take you to the wrong place particularly in the countryside. Paste these 3 words into the what3words app to get directions, even without a data connection. Click here to learn more.

Virtual Tour

Meeting Rooms

At YHA Ambleside we have one meeting room available for hire - the Wainwright Suite.

Capacity: Up to 20 delegates depending on seating configuration.Available Equipment: Projector, flipchart, pull down projection screen.Parking:There is limited parking at the hostel. More parking can be found in Ambleside village.Wi-Fi:There is no Wi-Fi in the conference room.Accessibility:There is step free access into the hostel and the meeting room is located on the ground floor. There is a step free route from reception to the room. The closest accessible WC is located in the café bar. For more information please see our full access statement.Air conditioning:There is no air conditioning but we do have fans and central heating.

YHA School Trips

There are a range of educational and action/adventure packages available at YHA Ambleside. The hostel has 249 beds, Internet access, classroom facilities, a library and group catering is available. Visit the YHA School Trips website to reserve the hostel for your field trip.

Volunteering

We are very grateful for all of the help and support that our generous volunteers give to YHA. We are proud of our “Investors in Volunteering” accreditation and have a wide range of opportunities available across the country, all of which will provide great learning or social experiences and help us to create even more opportunities for young people.

Why not come and spend some time at YHA Ambleside to find out more about our fabulous hostels and spend some time helping us maintain our high standards of hospitality. The tasks are energetic and varied and in return you will get to meet some great people who both work and stay in our hostels as well as enjoying your time off to get out and discover the beautiful Lake Distict landscape.

Full details of all of our various volunteering opportunities can be found here.

Meet the Team

Manager recommends: Right in the heart of the Lake District, Ambleside is ideal for everyone, from first timers looking for weekend breaks to seasoned visitors who love serious outdoor activity holidays and want the best access to all that the Lakes have to offer - from climbing holidays to watersports holidays. Everything you need for great outdoor activity holidays or school trips! Watersports, walking, climbing and steamboat trips, it’s all here!

Access Statement

At YHA Ambleside we strive to cater for everybody. We have one accessible bedroom on the ground floor with an accessible en-suite bathroom.

We also have:

Step-free access into hostel

Ground floor bedroom (which can be booked by calling the hostel directly)

Portable induction loop

Vibrating pillow alarm

Bedrooms at YHA Ambleside are across three floors, please be aware that there is no lift in the hostel.

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